23 April is a day for celebration in England. It’s the national day, in honour of England’s patron saint, St George. It’s both Shakespeare’s birthday and death day. Each of the British home nations has a national day associated with its patron saint: George for England, David for Wales (1 March), Patrick for Northern Ireland … Continue reading “St George’s Day”
Britain’s Prince Charles has long been recognised for his involvement in ecology. Now the Queen is turning to conservation, protecting forests all over the Commonwealth, from a tiny 2.5 hectare site in Antigua and Barbuda to the 6.4 million hectares of the Great Bear Rainforest in Canada. The Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy originated in an idea … Continue reading “The Queen Goes Green”
On 9 April, Scotland celebrates National Unicorn Day, in honour of the country’s national animal. Unicorns may be mythical creatures but that doesn’t stop them being represented all over Scotland, and in the country’s coat of arms. This 2m willow sculpture was created specially for National Unicorn Day by artist Woody Fox, and has been … Continue reading “Unicorn Day”
The Crown offers a fabulous insight in the British government in the second half of the twentieth century. The Netflix TV series could have just been a story of princesses and princes, crowns, palaces and fabulous dresses. And it is that, to a certain extent. But it also continues an examination of how Britain has … Continue reading “The Queen and her Prime Ministers”